The clinical case of a combined new coronavirus infection and whooping cough in an unvaccinated child

Abstract

Whooping cough remains a life-threatening infection, especially for unvaccinated young children. The article describes a case of severe and non-smooth course of whooping cough in an unvaccinated girl of 4 months of life from the family hearth of whooping cough and COVID-19. There were cases of COVID-19 and whooping cough in adults in the family, occurring under the mask of a mild respiratory infection, not verified before they were detected in a child and did not require hospitalization. The combined course of two infectious diseases COVID-19 and whooping cough in a 4-monthold unvaccinated girl contributed to the prolongation of the duration of whooping cough, prolonged release of SARS-COV-2 RNA, the late appearance of hematological changes typical of whooping cough, the development of respiratory delays and re-hospitalization of a patient with prolonged respiratory support. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the coverage of routine vaccination has significantly decreased, as a result of which children of the first years of life have become more vulnerable to vaccine-controlled infections, which causes the risk of combined infections.

Keywords

• whooping cough
• new coronavirus infection
• obstructive bronchitis
• children
• vaccination